Wells Fargo & Co. announced a total of $500,000 in donations for six local nonprofits that will help revitalize San Diego neighborhoods through the Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT program. The local grant recipients were identified in collaboration with City of San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, and National City Mayor Ron Morrison. The Wells Fargo Foundation grants were: A Reason to Survive, $100,000; Saint Vincent de Paul Village Inc., $100,000; San Diego Housing Commission, $100,000; Local Initiatives Support Corp., $75,000; Veterans Association of North County, $75,000 and Center for Employment Training, $50,000.
The grants are funded through Wells Fargo’s NeighborhoodLIFT program that was launched in March 2016 for San Diego homebuyers with a $5 million commitment by Wells Fargo to boost local homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods. NeighborhoodLIFT will create about 450 homeowners in San Diego through homebuyer education plus matching down payment assistance grants up to $7,500. Wells Fargo is collaborating with the City of San Diego, National City, national nonprofit NeighborWorks America, and its local network member, Neighborhood Housing Services Inland Empire, to implement the program. More than 400 down payment assistance grants are still available and interested homebuyers may contact NHSIE or Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in San Diego for information about eligibility requirements. Visit wellsfargo.com/mortgage/lift.
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United Way of San Diego County honored Deborah Szekely and Kenneth Weixel for their consistently outstanding community leadership and volunteerism. They were recognized at a special reception at the nonprofit’s Murphy Canyon building recently. Laurie Coskey, United Way’s president and CEO, presided over the ceremony.
Szekely was the recipient of the James F. Mulvaney Community Leadership Award, which is given to a local leader who has demonstrated long-lasting, exceptional service to the San Diego community. The award is named for James Mulvaney who maintained involvement in numerous nonprofit boards and organizations for 50 years.
Weixel was the recipient of the “Volunteer of the Year” Naish Award, which recognizes an individual who has made a significant and sustained contribution to United Way as a volunteer and commemorates the extraordinary commitment of Jack Naish, a former board member and creative leader. On the board of United Way and its current campaign cabinet chair, Weixel is a San Diego managing partner for Deloitte LLP.
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The seventh annual Miracle Babies gala was held recently at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar and raised nearly $300,000 to support families with critically ill newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit. The gala was chaired by Tamara Lafarga-Joseph, and included a cocktail reception, gourmet dinner, a live auction and live entertainment with professional dancers.
Event sponsors included Tri-City Medical Center, Dr. Liza Norman, Roger Norman, Tamara Lafarga-Joseph and Roger Joseph, Manchester Financial Group, Knight Angels, Mirandon Family Foundation of Hope, AMN Healthcare, Sharp Mary Birch Hospital, Becton Dickinson & Co., AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Mesa Rim Climbing, First Foundation, Union Bank, Phase 3 Properties, Pro Outsourcing, Aurae MD, San Diego Neonatology, Vince Heald, Clinton Walters, Wells Fargo & Co., Regents Bank, AV Builders, Wayne Foster Music & Entertainment and Mission Federal Credit Union.
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Rest Haven Children’s Health Fund, a foundation supporting health-related services for underserved children in San Diego and Imperial Counties, has awarded $198,983 to 15 area nonprofit agencies through its 2016 grant funding cycle. During the last eight years, the foundation has awarded a total of $1,616,711 in the form of special one-time grants to 39 nonprofit agencies who share its children’s health mission. The 2016 grant recipients include: Emilio Nares Foundation, Family Health Centers of San Diego, Fresh Start Surgical Gifts, Grossmont Hospital Foundation, Home of Guiding Hands, Imperial Valley Food Bank, Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank, La Maestra Family Clinic Inc., Neighborhood House Association, North County Health Services, Promises2Kids, San Diego County Breastfeeding Coalition, San Ysidro Health Center, South Bay Community Services and Vista Community Clinic.
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A special shoutout is in order for the Anza-Borrego Foundation that will be celebrating 50 years of protecting the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Mark your calendar for the celebration on April 1, 2017. Visit theabf.org.
Send Kudos/Giving items to sglidden@sdbj.com.
